Virgin Voyages Releases First Impact Report

Virgin Voyages released its first Impact Report, which highlights the line’s social and governance goals, in commemoration of World Oceans Day on June 8.

The report which is driven by the line’s purpose – Creating an Epic Sea Change for All – is broken down into five categories: Our Sailors, Our Ocean, Our Communities, Our Partners and Our Crew.

According to research conducted by the line, more than 70 percent of its “past Sailors acknowledge that Virgin Voyages takes its commitment to social and environmental responsibility seriously” and 50 percent noted that “their voyage with Virgin inspired them to live more sustainably …” said Jill Stoneberg, the line’s senior director of sustainability and social impact.

“From ethically sourced F&B ingredients to reusable items and reef-safe sunscreens, our team has worked hard to integrate sustainable practices into the offerings on board,” she said.

“We’ve eliminated unnecessary single-use plastics, and the only tip we ask for is a tip for ocean conservation.

“Together these efforts not only minimize the impact we have on our oceans and communities, but we hope they also inspire others to make a difference.”

Virgin’s environmental and social goals are clearly evidenced aboard its ships, which were designed by Creative Collective, a leading hospitality, architecture and design firm.

“When building the vessels and identifying partners to collaborate with, Virgin Voyages aimed to align with like-minded organizations,” the company said.

“Offered on board, for example, are Yellow Leaf hammocks hand-woven in Thailand to curb deforestation, sustainably sourced coffee beans from Intelligentsia, and Coral Eyewear sunglasses made from recycled plastic, ” Virgin said, also noting that upward of 25 percent of its retail partners have committed positive social and environmental impact.

The report also highlights the diversity of its crew, which represents 95 nationalities.

“In a recent survey, 87 percent of Crew reported that they feel like they can be themselves at work, a major win and testament to the company’s ‘come as you are’ ideals,” Virgin said.

“Our Crew are passionate about social and environmental causes and donated more than 500 volunteer hours in 2021 to give back to the communities in which we operate.”

Virgin Voyages unveiled its LEED Gold cruise terminal in PortMiami in its first year of operation.

“Climate change is one of the biggest threats facing our ocean, but we’re proud to have one of the most efficient fleets at sea, Virgin Voyages CEO Tom McAlpin said at the Aspen Idea’s Climate Summit, which was held at the line’s Terminal V in PortMiami.

“We’ve invested in cutting-edge technologies like Climeon, and we are committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

“We have more work to do, but we’re incredibly proud of our progress.”